As bad as things were for Remy LeBeau, meeting up with Rogue always made him feel better knowing there was at least one aspect of his life worth living for. After she had left, Remy went back to wandering the streets looking for a place to stay for the night. Being a wanted man, he could never stay in one place too long. But with a terrible lack of money, he was often greatly restricted in the areas he could stay. Most of the time, he just ended up sleeping on a bench or in an alley. It was murder on his back, but over time he had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

As the crowd on the streets began to dwindle, Remy decided to hold up in a small pool hall where he hoped to hustle a few games for some much needed income. He knew could have just done a quick pickpocket to get some money, but he had been trying very hard to steer clear of that kind of thing...Knowing that it was just getting him in to more trouble. He had enough on his plate to deal with as it is. Seeing only a few people playing, he began work his skills that he had learned growing up to quickly gain a few extra dollars. After only a couple games, he seemed to have enough for a cheap motel room. He kept on playing whoever had to guts to take him on in order to get some extra safety cash. But as he continued to play and win, another man entered the bar wearing long, brown trench coat with sunglasses covering his eyes. Being that it was summer and fairly balmy outside, this man immediately caught Remy's suspicion. At first he tried to ignore this man, but from the looks of it...There was definitely more to him than meets the eye.

"You play pretty well comrade," said the man in a distinctly Russian accent as he sat down at the bar.

Remy chose not to respond, not trusting the presence of this man one bit. He continued to play his game while the mysterious man kept on watching while he drank a few shots of vodka. It didn't take long for Remy to sink the final shot that won him another twenty bucks in loose change from a very unhappy opponent, but the mysterious man just kept on watching him. He was about to make his leave...But before he was fully out the door, the man called him back.

"Giving up so soon? You were doing so well...Remy LeBeau."

Remy felt an even greater sense of urgency upon hearing this stranger call him by his full name. Now it was clear that this man had no intention of leaving him alone, so he turned to face him.

"How do you know my name, homme?" said Remy sternly.

"That's my little secret," replied the man with a snide grin as he got up from his seat and walked towards him.

"What do you want?" said Remy bluntly, making it clear that he was not afraid.

The stranger in the trench coat just gave him a snide grin as he took a step closer. It looked like this guy was looking for a fight, so Remy showed that he was prepared.

"Please...I want nothing from such a pitiful piece of street trash. It's my employer that has such a profound interest in you."

"Yo' employer?!" said Remy who was beginning to get annoyed, "Who is he? Is he the son of a bitch that's been makin' Remy's life miserable for the past year?!"

The stranger took another step closer as the grin on his face grew wider by the second.

"Cajun...You have no idea..."

Just then the bartender stepped in as he pointed a shotgun that he had stashed behind the counter at the man in the trench coat.

However, these stern words seemed to have little effect on the man in the trench coat as he took off his sunglasses to reveal a somewhat unusual face.

"Please...Go play with your 'toys' somewhere else!" said the man.

Suddenly, the vast majority of his trench coat was torn by two strange metallic tentacles that immediately went for the gun that the bartender was threatening him with. As the frightened man fell back in horror, the tentacles grabbed the gun and scrunched it in to an unrecognizable hunk of metal. Gambit prepared a card as the man then turned his sights on him.

"You're a mutant!" yelled Remy as others throughout the bar began to make a mad dash towards the exit.

Quickly, Remy threw a card towards the strange assailant, but his attack was blocked by one of the tentacles. Using his agility to dodge the metallic extensions by the skin of his teeth, but Omega Red made it clear that he had no intentions of letting him go. He now stood between his target and the exit as he prepared another attack.

"Gambit's not goin' with some metal freak show! You can tell whoever yo boss is to kiss my ass!" yelled Remy as he prepared another set of cards.

"ERR! Hold still you little pest!" yelled Omega Red as he kept trying to restrain the nimble Cajun.

Using three cards, the ragin' Cajun sent them flying towards the face of his aggressor. As he anticipated, Omega Red used his tentacles to block them...But in the process he was blinded by the flashes ever so briefly. However, this was long enough for Remy to make his move. With uncanny speed, the nimble young Cajun leaped towards the ceiling, grabbed on to on of the overhanging lights and swung over the head of the aggravated Russian. The second he landed, he made a mad dash for the door.

"Son of a bitch! Get back here Remy! You're only delaying the inevitable!" bellowed Omega Red as he ran out the door after him.

But as soon as he exited the building, Remy was nowhere to be seen. He had lost himself in the crowd and slipped away. Being a thief did have it advantages, but that only did more to enrage Omega Red. As he scanned the area for the slippery Cajun, he heard a sudden voice through the communicator that was lodged in his ear.

"Omega Red...What's your status?" said a dark voice.

"The bastard got away Sinister! I tried to nab him, but he's more evasive than I thought," said the Russian mutant grudgingly as he awaited his boss's response.

"Is that so?" said Sinister with a tone of great intrigue rather than frustration. "I expected as much."

"WHAT?!" bellowed Omega Red.

"Oh don't be so melodramatic. I anticipated such aptitude from young Mr. LeBeau."

"Then why the hell would you send me after him in the first place?!"

"Simply to put more pressure on the little rat and to confirm what I had hoped...And from what you have told me it has been a resounding success. Now I have all the data I need to make my move."

"What about the other one at the Xavier mansion? How are you going to get him if you can't even get this guy?"

"Please...Don't concern yourself with such trivial issues. Let me be the brains for this operation soldier. Remember...You work for me."

After a few tense moments of silence, Omega Red grudgingly sighed in admittance...For he knew that his boss was right.

"What are my orders?"

On the other side of the line, Sinister couldn't help but grin. He liked being in control and he liked dominance. And so far, everything seemed to be falling in place for him.

"Return to base and reconvene with Gauntlet and Sabertooth...I have a little task for the three of you."

"You best keep your promises to me Sinister! You know I'm not a man to be messed with! What about the Cajun comrade leader?"

Sinister responded with a snide laugh as the anticipation in his voice grew.

"Just leave him to me..."

*************************************************

As the next day dawned over the Xavier Institute, Scott and Jean took full advantage of their first day of summer vacation. They slept well in to the morning even as most of the others were up and about preparing for school. It had been a long while since either of them got the chance to sleep in because of their hectic college schedule, so it was a welcome feeling to catch up on some much needed rest. They both slept soundly until around ten before they finally began to stir and awaken. Since most of the house was empty with the majority of the students heading off to school, the soon-to-be married couple took advantage of the situation and relaxed with a little morning lovemaking in their private shower. Already, the stress seemed to be melting away as the day before them lay open and without obstruction.

"So what do you want to do today with all the free time we've got now?" asked Scott as they both stepped out of the steaming shower and dried themselves off.

"I don't know...It's been so long since we've had any time to just relax that I'm afraid I may have forgotten how," said Jean as she dried her long red hair, which had become quite messy after their 'activities.'

"I guess we'll just have to learn again," said Scott with a grin as he planted another kiss along the side of her neck, evoking a soft purr from Jean.

"Well we'll have plenty of time to do that later, but first...I need some breakfast," said Jean as her stomach began to growl.

"Sounds good to me, I hope they left us something."

"I doubt it. With Kurt's appetite and Logan's love of all things with meat, I don't think there's anything left. I was thinking that maybe we could go out for breakfast instead."

That only got Scott to grin even more.

"See Firebird...You're learning already."

*************************************************

The mansion seemed fairly quiet as Scott and Jean left for some much needed breakfast. Storm was in her garden, Logan and Hank were in the danger room, and the Professor was busy in his study. Rogue too was home and she had chosen to spend her morning outside near the pool. It was quiet, serene, and relaxing...Perfect for anyone living in a world full of uncertainty. Her date last night with Remy had gone well despite Logan's instant interrogation upon her return. But she had grown accustomed to that over the duration of their 'relationship.' However, lately she had been noticing that every time she saw Remy...His luck just kept getting worse and worse. She had seen him wearing the same clothes for two months now and he was beginning to look increasingly mal-nourished as time went on. Part of her wanted to tell the Professor about the Cajun's misfortune...But she had made a promise to Remy not long after he came back to her to keep her friends out of his problems. To him, things were complicated enough without dragging more innocent people in to his mess...That, and he wanted to handle whatever danger he encountered by himself. That's just the kind of man he was. But still...Rogue didn't like seeing him suffer so much and wished that she could do something about it.

With this in mind, only one thought kept repeating over and over again in her head.

'I hope Remy's okay out there...All alone.'

*************************************************

As Rogue continued to soak up the sun and all its nourishing rays outside, Professor Xavier made his way down towards the danger room to meet up with Beast and Logan. Upon entering the danger room, he was greeted with the sight of Logan tearing in to several sentinels with his claws while Hank ran the control room.

"Ah Charles, what brings you down here this morning?" said Hank as he continued to monitor the program.

"I need to speak with you and Logan on a rather urgent matter," replied Xavier as he wheeled himself over to the computer terminals.

"Well, just how urgent are we talking here?" asked Hank curiously.

"That's just it old friend...I'm not exactly sure."

Knowing by the tone in the Professor's voice, this definitely was something major. So without wasting too much time, he shut the program down and prepared to hear what his friend and colleague had to say.

"Hey what gives?!" yelled Logan as the program abruptly stopped, "I was on my way to beating my old record!"

"I apologize Logan...But this discussion can not wait."

With an angry grunt of frustration, the Wolverine made his way up towards the main deck. He was still somewhat angry that he had blown his chance at a record, but if Charles said something was important...It was usually an issue that could not be readily ignored.

"So what's the big emergency Chuck? What could be so important that it overshadows my chance at a new danger room record?"

Xavier took a deep breath as he prepared to explain himself to his friends.

"This morning I received a rather disturbing email from an old friend of yours, Nick Fury of SHIELD."

This immediately caught Logan's interest with him having many major dealings with SHIELD in his complicated past.

"SHIELD?! What do they want?" grunted Logan.

"Apparently, he mailed me to warn of the recent arrival of a few old enemies of yours...Omega Red and Gauntlet to be precise."

"What about em?" said Logan curiously and with a certain amount of apprehension in his voice.

"They're here in Bayville."

"What?!" bellowed Logan.

"According to Colonel Fury, they've been spotted within the greater Westchester area several times within the last few months. But that's not what concerns me...What does concern me is why they are here in the first place."

"Ain't it obvious Chuck, ol' metal-head still has it out for me after that mess with X23 and Hydra."

"Yes, that's what I thought at first too...But I don't think that is the case this time Logan."

"Huh? What do you mean?" said Logan.

"According to Fury, they've been in Bayville for the last four months. And if they were after you, they most certainly would have made a move my now."

Logan didn't say a word upon hearing this. He knew that Omega Red and Gauntlet meant trouble...If not for him, than most certainly for someone else. They were terrorists and soldiers...And their presence was definitely a cause for concern.

"Then for what reasons would two notoriously wanted mutants hold up here in Bayville?" asked Beast.

"That's just it...I don't know. And Fury seems to be just as baffled. From what he does now, they are both here on assignment. The question is who ordered them in the first place."

A brief silence fell over them as the prospect of a conflict with their bitter former enemies hung over them. It promised to shatter the calm that had lasted for quite a while for all of them and bring other students in to the conflict that had no place in it.

"So what do we do about it?" said Logan, breaking the silence.

"We'll have to step up security around the institute for now. And above all, we'll have find out more about whoever is giving the orders in the first place," said Xavier.

"What about the other students?" asked Hank.

"We'll hold off telling them for now...I don't want to create the same sense of fear that was created from Apocalypse. We just have to find out what exactly we're dealing with here. Until then...We'll have to stay vigilant. Something tells me that there is definitely more to this than meets the eye."

*************************************************

Omega Red walked the cold, ominous halls along the underground complex that he and Gauntlet had been operating from for the past few months. The facility was a vast, underground complex located under an old biotechnology facility that had been shut down quite some time ago. The rooms were like that of a hospital...Clean, drafty, and brightly lit by ominous fluorescent lights overhead. The facility could only be reached by a special hidden elevator and was built in to a formidable mountain in the upper Appalachians in upstate New York. The gentle hum of high tech machinery echoed throughout the maze of halls, giving off a strange and futuristic feel for the whole place.

As Omega Red made his way through the entrance to the primary lab area, he was greeted by the presence of his two fellow associates Gauntlet and Sabretooth. They both seemed to be waiting for something as he walked over past the vast array of exotic bio-machinery.

"Glad you could join us Omega Red," said a deep voice from behind them.

As the three mutant soldiers turned around, they were greeted with a tall, dark man in a lab coat. He seemed all too calm in wake of all the planning he had done for the last few months. Now, Nathaniel Essex, aka Mr. Sinister, could barely contain his excitement for what promised to be a day to remember.

"I would have been here sooner...But lately I have had a problem with SHIELD tracking me," responded the Russian soldier.

"Oh don't concern yourself with those needle-dick excuses for police officers. After today...Your service to me will be up and I will have little use for any of you," responded Sinister with a grin.

"I'm not worried about them," stipulated Omega Red, "I just want the money and resources that you promised me after this!"

"Patience soldier...Patience," said Sinister in an annoyingly calm voice, "You will all be compensated in full IF you succeed. My two targets are currently in place and we will make our move TONIGHT!"

"But why the hell would you want those two anyway Essex?" grunted Sabertooth.

"I have my reasons...And you best not concern yourselves with them. Just worry about the rewards and do what I tell you!"

Neither one of the three wanted mutants liked to be ordered around...But the promise of the money, technology, and resources that this man had demonstrated and vowed to pay was motivation enough to comply with his requests. Each one of them had their own vendettas to settle and the money would definitely help...But in agreeing to work with this man, they had to put up with more than they bargained for.

"So what's the big plan then?" asked Gauntlet as Sinister walked over to a large computer screen.

As the computer came to life, two large pictures appeared. One of them was that of Remy LeBeau...And the other was that of Scott Summers. Under the pictures was a vast array of data about the two young men ranging from their ages to their favorite foods. Although the three henchmen failed to see it, Mr. Sinister's eyes lit up with eagerness as he looked at the pictures intently. Soon after viewing the data, a large map of the Bayville and Westchester area appeared on the screen with two red blips flashing ominously.

"You three are going to apprehend the target, Scott Summers, using a few 'gadgets' of mine...While I take care of Mr. LeBeau...Personally."

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AN: I know this chapter didn't give any answers to some of the big questions posed in earlier chapters...But future chapters will! So what do you all think so far? Like it? Hate it? There's still plenty of story left to tell and plenty of Jott and Romy to go around! Please tell me what you all think! I'd love to know! Send your thoughts to me via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I love getting reviews! Well, thanks for reading thus far! I wish you all the best and I hope you continue to read my work!